The latest drivers and irons all employ a key recipe for distance: redistributing weight where it’s needed most
TaylorMade Stealth drivers
A carbon-composite face – not the crown or even the body as we’ve seen in various stages in the past 15 years or so, but the part of the club that makes contact with the ball – is the foundation for TaylorMade’s three new Stealth drivers. The trio includes the adjustable weight Stealth Plus; the higher-launching, higher-forgiving Stealth; and the high-launching and draw-biased Stealth HD. The face, made of 60 layers of carbon-composite fibre, is 40 percent lighter than a similarly sized titanium face to create a more efficient energy transfer and better ball speed consistency across the face. Stealth Plus has an RRP of $1,099 and will be offered in 8°, 9° and 10.5° lofts. Shaft offerings include Project X HZRDUS Smoke RDX Red 60 and Mitsubishi’s Kai’li White 60, with numerous custom shaft options available at no additional cost. They come stock with Lamkin’s Crossline Black/Red grip (50 grams). Stealth and Stealth HD have an RRP of $999 and will be offered in 9°, 10.5° and 12° lofts. See taylormadegolf.com.au for more.
Cobra AIR-X
Continuing its focus on weight savings and forgiveness, Cobra’s AIR-X men’s and women’s [pictured] drivers each boast an additional eight grams of total weight savings. At just 277 grams, the AIR-X driver delivers a new level of lightweight performance to improve feel and maximise clubhead speed and distance for players with moderate swing speeds. Cobra’s AIR-X line is anchored by new and improved metal woods that have been re-engineered with new weight-saving technologies. The AIR-X drivers now feature a lighter and thinner ply carbon crown that is 30 percent thinner than the previous generation F-MAX. Replacing titanium with the new thin-ply carbon fibre saves a total of 15 grams (five additional grams compared to last year’s construction), allowing Cobra engineers to reduce the clubhead weight by two grams (190 grams total) while maintaining a high moment of inertia of close to 5,000 for maximum stability and forgiveness. The new AIR-X drivers (RRP: $549) are available now. See cobragolf.com.au for more.
Callaway Rogue ST drivers
Callaway launches it largest new collection of drivers with the four-model Rogue ST lineup. The approach discards
moveable weight options for distinctly conceived designs for four player types, each within the framework of large-format, high-forgiveness design. Those include the extreme moment of inertia Max, the anti-slice Max D, the high-forgiveness but neutral-biased and flatter-flying Max LS or the slightly compact, super low-spin ◊◊◊LS. The new Rogue ST lineup is Callaway’s fastest, most stable driver family ever thanks to the all-new Tungsten Speed Cartridge, Jailbreak Speed Frame, and an AI-designed Flash Face engineered for maximum speed with exceptional levels of forgiveness. The new Rogue ST driver family hits Australian stores on March 4 and comes with a recommended retail price of $929.99. See callawaygolf.com.au for more.
TaylorMade Stealth irons
TaylorMade’s Stealth irons use a thin, fast face and thru-slots for added distance. Various design features also lower the centre of gravity and to help boost the launch angle for game-improvement players needing an assist in that area. The tech is housed in a sleek-looking package that says you’re a better player than you are. While it possesses none of the carbon-fibre cool of its namesake from the driver category, the Stealth irons are bathed in useful technology, starting with a multi-material cap-back design that is seven-and-a-half times lighter than the steel it is replacing. The idea was originally used on the SIM2 Max irons but has been revised so that the cap-back now wraps around the high toe area to reduce weight there, making the club easier to square at impact. Stealth irons are now available for pre-order and will hit Australian stores on April 1. They will come with RRPs of $229 (steel) and $259 (graphite) per iron and will be offered in 4-iron to PW with AW, SW and LW also available. See taylormadegolf.com.au for more.
Cobra Air-XTM irons
Cobra Air-XTM irons take lightweight technology and super game improvement performance to a new level. A lighter clubhead design yields two grams in weight-savings, while a six-gram lighter 41-gram standard size grip with a lighter and softer rubber compound improves feel, making these irons easier and more enjoyable to hit than ever before. Players will enjoy maximum forgiveness and effortless launch through a combination of a deep undercut cavity, low profile shape and greater lofts throughout the set. Men’s Air-XTM irons ($169 steel; $189 graphite per iron) are available in 4-PW, GW, SW, while the women’s Air-XTM graphite irons ($189 each) are available in 5-PW, GW, SW); only in right-hand ladies flex. See cobragolf.com.au for more.
Callaway Rogue ST irons
Callaway’s longest irons ever break new ground through a high-strength 450 AI Face Cup that’s never been seen before. The company has also continued to push innovation through its patented Urethane Microspheres and has massively increased its precision tungsten weighting. The Rogue ST iron line is made up of the game-improvement Rogue ST Max, a sleek players-distance iron in the hollow-body Rogue ST Pro and a strong-lofted, distance-focused option with Rogue ST Max OS. To further appeal to those needing even more help, the Rogue ST Max OS comes in an OS Lite version, which is not only lightweight but has more loft to assist slower swingers with getting the ball in the air. Available at retail from March 4, the Rogue ST irons come with an RRP of $229.99 (steel) and $249.99 (graphite) per iron. See callawaygolf.com.au for more.
